The World Cannot Hate You

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The World Cannot Hate You

Sometimes the Bible seems  to make contradictions,  so a person needs  to do a second take  on what was said.     We need to look at the context  of the situation  to figure out how something can be true  or not true.

An example of a seeming contradiction is between John 7:7 — “The world cannot hate you,”  and Matthew 10:22 — “You will be hated by all  on account of My name.”     One or the other  of these statements applies  to us.     Who will be hated  and who will not be hated?    First,  the context of John 7:7 goes from verses 3 through 7.     It says,

His brothers therefore said  to Him,  “Depart from here,  and go into Judea,  that Your disciples also  may behold Your works  which You are doing.     For no one does anything  in secret,  when he himself seeks  to be known publicly.     If You do these things,  show Yourself  to the world.”

For not even His brothers  were believing  in Him.     Jesus therefore said  to them,  “My time is not yet at hand;  but your time  is always opportune.     The world cannot hate you;  but it hates Me,  because I testify  of it,  that its deeds are evil.”

Then,  in Matthew 10:22,  Jesus is giving instructions  for spreading the gospel  to His disciples — to those who believed  in Him  and followed Him.     To them He said,

You will be hated  by all  on account of My name,  but it is the one  who has endured  to the end  who will be saved.

From the context in John,  we see that Jesus’ own brothers  “were not believing  in Him”.     His own brothers,  the ones He grew up with,  did not believe  He was the promised Savior.     They wanted more and more proof  by getting to see miracle upon miracle.     Because they were so unbelieving,  they weren’t about  to preach to anyone  about sin  and repentance  and faith.     Because they would never speak up  about sin,  they would have all sorts of friends  in this world.     The world cannot hate anyone  who goes with the flow  of sin.

But,  Jesus pointed out  that He Himself,  the Savior of the world,  would be hated  by the world,  “because I testify of it,  that its deeds are evil.”     In other words,  nobody wants sins  pointed out.     That really gets their dander up.     They feel  that what they do  is no one else’s business.     So,  when Jesus preached  about sin,  He riled a lot  of people — especially the self-righteous religious leaders.

Jesus seemed  to be saying the opposite  of what He said  to His brothers,  when He told His disciples,  “You will be hated  by all.”     But,  the disciples were indeed hated  by the world.     Because they preached the truth  about sin,  people would twist their words  to try to claim  that the disciples  were the evil ones.     That brought about  all sorts of imprisonments,  beatings,  tortures,  and killings of Jesus’  followers.     So,  the followers of Jesus were  “hated by all  on account of My name.”

The seemingly contradictory statements  were both true,  because of the circumstances  and the faith  of the people involved.      In spite  of being hated,  Jesus encourages His followers  to endure to the end,  so that we will be saved.     That means,  each one of us needs  to take a stand  in this world.

When we realize the truth  that Jesus is the long promised Savior,  who died for our sins  and was raised again  from the dead,  we need  to speak the truth.     Jesus came and died  to pay  for our sins.     We are not to gloss over the facts  of our sins.     And,  when we point out sins,  we will be hated  on account of the name  of Jesus Christ.

Are we hated  or not hated  by this world?    (When we say “world” that refers  to unbelievers  who refuse  to admit their sins.)

As we endure,  we are saved, and we know it  because our very own sins  have all been washed away  in the blood of Christ.     We are free  to live for Christ  no matter how vile  the world wants to be.     And we say,  “Hallelujah!     Lord,  thank You  for forgiving all my sins  and giving me eternal life  in Your name.”

Love,
Margaret

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A Christian devotional to glorify the LORD of lords and God of gods

 

Pray for our country.

 

This is the day which the LORD has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24

 

The word of the LORD is tried;
He is a shield  to all  who take refuge  in Him.
Psalm 18:30

 

Sing for joy in the LORD,  O you righteous ones;
Praise is becoming  to the upright.
Psalm 33:1

How blessed are those  who dwell in Thy house!
They are ever praising Thee.
Psalm 84:4

 

Just as a father has compassion  on his children,
So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.
Psalm 103:13

 

Oh give thanks to the LORD,  for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Psalm 107:1

 

Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.
Psalm 105:3

 

Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that
I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12

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